John Leeson Dies: Actor Who Voiced Iconic Role In ‘Doctor Who’ Was 83

John Leeson, the British actor who voiced Doctor Who‘s iconic companion K9, has died aged 83, his family has confirmed.

In a Facebook post, Leeson’s son Guy Ducker said his father died yesterday “after a summer of illness.”

“I regret to announce the death of my father, John Ducker, a.k.a. John Leeson, at 3:03pm today after a summer of illness,” read Ducker’s post. “The end was peaceful. Good night sweet prince: And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!”

In a separate post, Ducker thanked the Whovians — a nickname for Doctor Who fans — “for the love they showed to my father over the decades.”

Russell T. Davies, who has had two stints showrunning Doctor Who, called Leeson “a true gent and a great loss.”

Born in 1943, John Ducker, as he was known then, went to RADA before landing many theater and TV roles in the 1960s and 1970s.

He got his huge break in 1977 as the voice of K9 in Doctor Who, the hugely popular robot dog who accompanies the Doctor through various adventures and incarnations. He had further stints in the role before returning in The Sarah Jane Adventures and K9 spin-offs decades later in the late-2000s.

Leeson also appeared in shows like Blake’s 7, Crossroads and Vanity Fair.

He married Judy Griffiths, who was then a producer’s assistant on hit BBC kids show Blue Peter, in 1969.